The Genographic Project is elicting a new round of objections from indigenous community leaders. Genetics and Health has a good post up highlighting the issues. Two prelim points:
I am skeptical of the science that is going to come out of this. I believe that the "hot stuff" is going to be studying selection in the human genome, not trying to reconstruct phylogenies
I also accept that "science" has been the tool of injustice and even barbarity against indigenous peoples
I say "community leaders" because "indigenous peoples" aren't a monolith. Just as George W. Bush doesn't represent all Americans, so community leaders don't represent the whole community
Now, look at this quote:
...Geographic origin stories told by DNA can clash with long-held beliefs, threatening a world view some indigenous leaders see as vital to preserving their culture. They argue that genetic ancestry information could also jeopardize land rights and other benefits that are based on the notion that their people have lived in a place since the beginning of time.
First, does this sound familiar? Science clashing with long-head beliefs? Second, why the hell are land rights and benefits contingent upon mythologies which can be empirically debunked?
